He will Bind Us Up…

“Each Sunday we say “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!” Today we slow things down. We say ‘Christ has died’ and wait.”

Fred Harrell,Sr. Pastor, City Church San Francisco

In just a few hours our church grounds will be swarmed and traversed by hundreds of children in search of even more goodies that have been hidden in plain sight at our annual Easter Egg Hunt. It is one of the more delightful things we do during the Easter season at our church, and a sweet interlude in the reflective observance of Jesus’ death. It occurs on the day that commemorates Jesus’ last day in the tomb before the Resurrection, and I have to think that the joyful laughter of children is a fitting expression of our confidence that Jesus didn’t remain in the grave.

This past January our community was rocked by a senseless shooting at the mall from which I post this blog. Understandably the Zumiez store shut down. But I was glad to recently notice that they are undertaking whatever restoration work is needed to once again open their doors to the public.

Though I’m not quite certain what was going on in the grave on that day before the Resurrection, or the day before for that matter, I do know that it was good, and that there is something in the silence that is good for my soul.

In some way it is representative of our lives here on this still-injured planet as we await Jesus’ return. We are His, and we are redeemed, but we wait, trusting that His healing work continues, even when undetectable.

While the Cross insures that our sins have been paid for, and the Resurrection that our eternity is secure, it is the Grave that hits me where I am, every day in the struggle, and reminds me that I can hang in there.

I can hang in there through the adversity.
I can hang in there when I am weak.
I can hang in there when my sin drives me to fall before the Throne in sorrow.
I can hang in there when I am assaulted by doubt and unbelief.
I can hang in there even when I don’t want to hang in there.

“…he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us…” – Hosea 6:1a-2b

I can hang in there, that is, I can trust Him, because on that quiet day, Jesus lay in the Grave. But He didn’t stay there.

And this means that even God’s silence is saturated with healing properties that bear testimony to the fact that the Father delights in calling us His.

So I can hang in there. And so can you.

What good news…

peace.

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§ One Response to He will Bind Us Up…

What an encouraging message Mike. I never really thought of it like that. I, like many others going through struggles in life, need to keep this in mind. One day that “door” aka tomb will open and it will be completed. Praise God for His sacrifice and for you His messenger.